


Risky

by FallsGRNorth, Sky797



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, pythag thought they had a plan but boy are they bad at math, set between parts two and three
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-03-27 07:44:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13876341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallsGRNorth/pseuds/FallsGRNorth, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sky797/pseuds/Sky797
Summary: Sougo likes Ryuu and Ryuu likes Sougo, but neither of them wants to admit it. Enter the Pythagoras Trio and Gaku, who have come up with an absolutely foolproof plan to get them to talk about their feelings. And maybe do a little more than that. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? Right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This spawned from Sky messaging me with an idea that we then spent the entire day expanding upon, and that I couldn't stop thinking about for the next several weeks until I actually wrote it all down. This is my first fanfic in a long time, hopefully I'm not too rusty. Enjoy!

Sougo hummed to himself, matching the music playing through his headphones. It was one of his rare evenings off, when neither IDOLiSH7 nor MEZZO” had any work scheduled, and he was using it to clean his room in the dorms. Not that it wasn’t already tidy, but the last few weeks had been hectic. He’d let his orderly room slide just a little towards the messier side. Just a little.

_ Last Dimension _ drew to a close. He had TRIGGER’s newest album on shuffle (which was why he was using headphones, he did  _ not _ need to hear everyone else teasing him about just how much he liked the trio, nor distracting him from what he had to do. The last time he had played one of TRIGGER’s albums out loud on his sound system, Riku-kun had heard and somehow both Riku-kun and Tamaki-kun had wound up having a dance party in his room. While that had been fun, it was certainly not conducive to cleaning. And the time before that Yamato-san had mocked him-)

A heavy bass beat interrupted his thoughts, and he felt himself smile as he recognized the opening bars of Tsunashi-san’s  _ Risky na Kanojo _ . It was one of Sougo’s personal favorites, that he had memorized almost as soon as the album came out. It was a song that matched Tsunashi Ryuunosuke’s image perfectly, what with his supposed nature as an  _ ero ero  _ beast.

Sougo knew that Tsunashi-san wasn’t actually like that, but it didn’t stop him from liking the song. He continued humming along as he finished cleaning, as Ryuu’s voice asked  _ What is your name?  _ He had mixed feelings about this part. On one hand, it didn’t take advantage of Tsunashi-san’s impressive voice. On the other, he did rather enjoy the feeling that it gave him, of being singled out, of being chosen by the Number Two Most Desired Embrace. And Ryuu had made himself fit the section flawlessly, creating a voice that commanded and implored, layered with the breathy overtones of desire. This section always made his cheeks grow a little hot, made his heart clench just a little. This song was terrible for his health. Absolutely terrible.

The song transitioned to the bridge, building towards the chorus.  _ Touch touch touch _ , Sougo would never-could never- let anyone know about how he felt. It was unprofessional. It would be a bother to Tsunashi-san. It could never happen.  _ Catch catch catch _ , he just couldn’t stop how he felt, no matter how hard he tried. At first, he’d just found himself attracted to the image of Tsunashi Ryuunosuke, the sexy son of a successful hotelier, the embodiment of what a man should be. After everything that had happened, though, especially after the shuffle groups, where he and Tamaki-kun had caused Tsunashi-san so much trouble, he’d found that Ryuu was so much more. Kind. Gentle. Almost adorably naive, in some ways.  _ Touch touch touch _ , far from being disappointed in what he’d discovered, Sougo had felt himself falling even more for the older man. Falling in love with the way he spoke, with how he transformed on stage, even with the messy man that sometimes appeared whenever Ryuu had too much to drink (not that he was one who could talk). He had it bad. But he could never tell. It would never happen. He couldn’t let Tsunashi-san find out. He couldn’t let it become troublesome. For everyone’s sake. For Tsunashi-san’s sake.

The bridge came to an end and the background instrumental built towards the chorus. He would just have to keep his feelings tightly locked away, as he always did. But, in moments like these, with his headphones on and his door closed, he could let go, just a little. Sougo raised his arms, closed his eyes, and began to dance.  _ I know, I know, I know,  _ yes, he knew, those were dangerous feelings he had. All the same, he sang along, moving with the music, mimicking the way Ryuu sang, the way Ryuu danced. It was the most he could do.

* * *

 

“Ah, where’s Sou-chan? You said we were all having dinner with TRIGGER. Gakkun, Tenten, and Ryuu-aniki are here. Sou-chan should be out here by now. I’m hungry...”

Mitsuki and Yamato exchanged a knowing glance. “Aaah, we must have forgotten to tell him!” Mitsuki let out a laugh, hoping that the slightly forced nature would somehow be hidden. “Someone should go grab him, right? I bet he’s in his room.”

“I can get him!” Riku volunteered, already rising from his spot on the couch between Tamaki and Iori, but a sudden look from Yamato had him sinking back into his seat.

“No, no, you stay put. Tsunashi, you know where that is, right?” Yamato craned his neck back, staring at where the three members of TRIGGER stood chatting with Nagi.

“Um,” the man in question began, but Gaku was already pushing him toward the hallway.

“Go on, it’s up to you this time.”     

“Why me?” Ryuu asked, his voice genuinely confused. Gaku simply clapped him on the shoulder and gave him another push before heading back to the living room. Ryuu shrugged and sighed, giving in as he headed towards the bedrooms.

Tamaki paused, a spoonful of pudding halfway to his mouth. He watched Ryuu walk off, then glanced at Iori and Riku. Neither of the boys had noticed anything amiss (although that might have been because Iori was busy admonishing Riku about something or other, Tamaki had tuned them out ages ago), so he went back to finishing his snack.

As Gaku came back to the living room, he shot a thumbs up at Yamato and Mitsuki.  Nagi, who had previously been distracted by describing the latest episode of Magical Kokona to a reasonably interested (though he would never admit it) Tenn, caught the motion and smiled.

“Oh, is everything going well?”

Tenn raised an eyebrow, glancing at Gaku. “ _ Everything _ ?” he asked, fixing the silver haired man with an icy look. “Are you and the members of Pythagoras plotting something?”

“Absolutely not,” Gaku shot back. “I’m appalled that you would think that, Tenn. Hurt, even.”

“Hmm.” Tenn watched as Ryuu disappeared down the hall, then shifted his gaze from Gaku, to Nagi, and back again. “And I suppose it has nothing to do with this little dinner tonight, nor with the way you’ve been acting recently, Gaku?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

* * *

  
Ryuu made his way down the hallway, still wondering why they had decided to send him after the missing member of IDOLiSH7. Well, he had an inkling of why Gaku might encourage him to, considering the chat the two of them had had over drinks a couple months back. He felt his cheeks grow warm. He’d gone on for almost an hour about Sougo-kun, about his voice and his dancing, his manners, the way he looked after Tamaki-kun, ending with several moving statements about how beautiful the younger man was. At that point, Gaku had stopped him by smacking the empty glass in his hand down on the table.

“Ryuu,” his group mate had said, words just barely slurred, “Ryuu, you’ve got it bad.”

“Got...what?” His vision was swimming slightly and he felt warm all over. He knew that he was at the very edge of his tolerance for alcohol, but took another sip of his drink anyway. Gaku grabbed his hand and slowly forced it back to the table. He stared directly into Ryuu’s eyes, the look in his silver ones caught somewhere between serious and incredulous.

“You  _ like  _ him.”

Ryuu blinked. “Yes?”

“Ryuu, not even you can be this thick. I swear.” Gaku laughed and buried his face in his hands. “Ryuu, you know how I feel about Tsumugi-chan, right?”

“Mm.” Ryuu propped his chin on his hand. “You have a huge crush on her. Even though she turned you down twice. In five minutes.”

“...I’m going to forget you said that last part, but yes. She’s a fantastic girl and I could go on about her for a while, but you just blew me out of the water with that ode to Ousaka. And you’ve been talking about him almost nonstop since we had our shuffle groups.”

He thought about that for a moment, brow furrowing in concentration. Sougo-kun had been on his mind. A lot. He enjoyed the time he spent around the soft-spoken young man, just listening to him talk about everything and nothing. He enjoyed watching him dance, getting drinks with him, spending time with him. Getting messages, listening to his music, seeing him on  _ Kimi to Ai na Night _ . Being around him kindled a strange feeling in his chest, something akin to happiness and comfort with a dash of desire, tempered by an ever encroaching sadness. Now that Gaku pointed it out…

Ryuu felt his cheeks grow hot. “Oh,” he murmured. “I think you’re right.”

Gaku flagged down the bartender and ordered a couple of waters. “Hell yeah I’m right. How are you so bad at this?” He laughed and threw his arm around Ryuu’s shoulders. “So what are you gonna do about it, huh?”

“Do?”

“Seriously, man…”

“We’re two guys. Two idols. So, nothing?”

“What do you want to do?” Gaku asked, pushing the water towards Ryuu, who merely made a noise deep in his throat. Gaku laughed again. “I’m fine with drunk Ryuu answering this, by the way. Come on, tell your leader what you need and how I can help.”

Ryuu put his head down on the table and muttered something unintelligible under his breath. Gaku sighed and shook his head. “Already at that point, huh?”

There was a prolonged moan from the brunette, who then rocketed back, nearly catching Gaku on the chin as he stretched. “Aaah, don’t worry, don’t worry! Let’s go to karaoke! I want to sing!”

Ryuu stopped and placed a hand on the wall, covering his face with hisother hand at the memory. He and Gaku had apparently spent the rest of the night at karaoke, although he had very few memories of actually being there. Gaku hadn’t pressed the issue, but Ryuu had become more aware of it in weeks that followed, of how his day brightened when he got a RabbitChat from Sougo, of how he’d always enjoyed listening to the rival group’s songs, but listened slightly more carefully to one of the voices.

But he would keep it quiet, wouldn’t act on it. He was supposed to be TRIGGER’s Tsunashi Ryuunosuke, the man who could have any woman in Japan, and he definitely couldn’t trouble his group, or IDOLiSH7, because of his feelings.

Ryuu arrived at the door marked with Sougo’s name and paused. He could hear something going on inside, singing, maybe? He couldn’t make out the song, though, so he simply shrugged and knocked. After hearing no change for a few seconds, he gently pushed open the door, with a quiet “Sorry to intrude…”

“ _ Why not, why not, why not, kiken na koi wa _ …”

Ryuu stopped, still standing in the doorway. He could recognize that tune and those words anywhere. His own song,  _ Risky na Kanojo _ . And here was Sougo-kun, headphones on, singing and dancing along. His voice, slightly lighter in tone than Ryuu’s, added a different edge to the music, less demanding, more imploring. His movements, too, were fluid, more so than when they’d practiced  _ Love&Game. _

He stepped into the room and quietly closed the door, watching the young man dance. Sougo moved on from the second chorus, into the spoken portion of the song. He extended his arm imploringly, voice soft but insistent, and Ryuu suppressed a shiver.

“ _ Start! Alright! Don’t stop the music! _ ” Sougo spun, eyes flashing open, to face the door. The next word,  _ why _ , died on his lips as he spotted Ryuu. His face went pale and he stopped, ripping the headphones from his head.

“Tsunashi-san!” he yelped, voice jumping up an octave. “What are you- I mean, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have…”

“Ah! No! I’m sorry!” Ryuu held up his hands, palms out. “I knocked, but you didn’t hear, so I came in. I probably shouldn’t have, right? I’m used to just going in to get my brothers... Sorry about that.”

“No, I’m the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn’t have been…” Sougo stopped, taking a second to pause the music and place his headphones gently on his desk. He sighed and tried to steady himself.

“Shouldn’t have been…?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I apologize, from the bottom of my heart. But, Tsunashi-san, why are you here?”

“The others sent me to get you for dinner, although I’m not sure why they decided I should be the one.”

“Dinner?”

Ryuu furrowed his brow. “You all invited us over for dinner tonight, right? Gaku said something about celebrating the sales from our recent album? Or...your recent album?” He looked up at the ceiling for a second, thinking, then shook his head. “Honestly, he was kind of vague about it…”

“...we did?”

“You didn’t?”

“It...must have been some of the others, then.” Sougo brought his hand to his chin, thinking. Had the others just forgotten to tell him? Or had they chosen not to tell him? And if so, why? Were they worried about his cooking? He knew he liked spice, but the things he made weren’t that spicy… Or was it something else?

“Anyways, they sent me to get you for dinner, so that’s why I’m here.” Ryuu’s voice snapped Sougo out of his thoughts. He glanced up, meeting the other man’s golden gaze, and quickly looked away.

“I see. Thank you.” He nodded, then, catching sight of his headphones again, blushed faintly. “I’m sorry that you saw me acting like that, Tsunashi-san. It wasn’t my place to do that.”

Ryuu blinked. “Acting like…? What, you mean singing and dancing to  _ Risky na Kanojo _ ? That’s nothing to apologize for, you were doing great!”

Sougo’s blush deepened. “Thank you, but, I feel like I was...not doing justice to your song.”

“Doing it… Sougo-kun, you said you were TRIGGER’s fan, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you were enjoying yourself just then, right?” Ryuu continued with a smile.

“...yes.”

“Then, as a member of TRIGGER, that’s all I can hope for, that my song will bring someone enjoyment. As an idol, you share that feeling, right?” When Sougo nodded, Ryuu’s smile grew. “See? This is just how it is for idols and fans. I have to admit, I’ve done the same thing while listening to IDOLiSH7 and MEZZO”.”

“You have?!” Sougo’s voice jumped up again and he cleared his throat, trying to calm himself back down. “I mean, you have?”

“Of course! I’m one of your fans, after all.” The statement made Sougo’s heart skip, then beat thunderously as Ryuu closed his eyes, hummed a few notes, and began to sing. He moved, his eyes fluttering open, a soft smile settling on his face. “ _ Koboreta loving, chiisana fragment, kawari hajimeru ashioto hitotsu _ …”

Sougo watched, entranced. In TRIGGER’s songs, Tsunashi-san’s movements were often hard, and usually far more sensual. Here, he kept the moves sweeping, his expression gentle. His voice was soft, hitting the upper portion of his range. It wasn’t polished by any means, but that was the point. At this moment, he wasn’t Tsunashi Ryuunosuke of TRIGGER. He was simply a fan.

“ _...kuchizukete miyo, futari de… _ ” Ryuu sang, letting his voice fade away as he met Sougo’s eyes, his own gaze seeking approval. The younger man swallowed, cheeks coloring once more as he fought down the sudden rush of embarrassment, happiness, and longing.

“Ah, that was… Thank you, Tsunashi-san. I don’t think I was worthy of such a performance…” He sat on the edge of his bed and clasped his hands together to hide the fact that he was trembling. He felt light-headed, light-hearted, and overwhelmed. It took an immense amount of willpower, but he finally said “Thank you,” once more, without letting his voice waver.

Ryuu took a deep breath, feeling a little color enter his cheeks as well. “It’s the least I can do. As a fan, I mean.”

Sougo put his head in his hands. Ryuu started forward, but stopped as Sougo shook his head. “I’m okay,” he mumbled. “Just a, uh, headache. I’m going to lay down for a bit. Sorry, Tsunashi-san, for troubling you.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“No, no, I’m quite alright. Please.”

Ryuu watched him for a moment, concern knitting his brow, but nodded and moved to the door. He opened it, stepped through, and let the door quietly close before leaning back against it, letting out a huge breath. Why, of all things, had he decided to choose  _ Koi no Kakera _ to sing? And immediately after seeing Sougo-kun sing  _ Risky na Kanojo _ … He groaned and let his head tilt back, tapping the door ever so lightly.

There was a soft thud from inside. Ryuu was moving before he even registered the noise, flinging the door back open to see Sougo on his side on the bed, eyes closed. Obviously, Sougo-kun was not alright. Ryuu immediately turned and dashed back to the living room.

“I think there’s something wrong with Sougo-kun!” he called. Everyone else met him with gazes ranging from confusion to annoyance.

“What happened?” asked Mitsuki.

“Yeah, what took so long, Ryuu-aniki? Where’s Sou-chan?”

“He might have fainted!”

Mitsuki immediately headed for the kitchen to get some water, even as Yamato sat up, turning to stare at the brunette. “Oho? Tsunashi, what did you do to our poor group member?”

“Is he okay?” Riku sounded concerned, but Tenn, standing next to him, shook his head.

“Something tells me he’s fine.”

“Tenn-nii?”

“Just a hunch,” the boy said, looking pointedly at where Nagi and Gaku were listening to Ryuu’s frantic explanation. Iori, who had been listening in as well, turned to face the twins.

“Care to explain, Kujou-san?”

“Not particularly.”

“Tenn-nii!”

“Nanase-san.” Iori’s voice was as calm and even as ever, as he stared at Tenn, then followed the boy’s gaze to the other members of IDOLiSH7 and TRIGGER. “Kujou-san is most likely correct. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“O...okay?”

Meanwhile, Ryuu finished his explanation, fighting down the frustration he was beginning to feel. Weren’t they concerned? But Nagi and Gaku merely smiled at him.

“Oh, don’t worry! Don’t worry, it’s nothing to worry about,” Nagi said, grinning. “Right, Mitsuki?”

Mitsuki, who had just returned to the room, looked shocked at being called upon so soon.“You’re so… Right, right, it happens, he should be fine,” the short young man explained, shooting Nagi a brief look of annoyance. The blonde simply grinned and plucked the glass of water from his hand.

“Then again, maybe someone should check on him,” Gaku continued. “Just in case he does need something, right?”

Yamato nodded, finally getting up from his sprawled position on the couch. “Yaotome, you make a good point. We should definitely have someone do that. And I nominate… Tsu-na-shi,” he called, punctuating each syllable with a gentle push back down the hall.

“Wh-what? Why me? Again!?”

“Because you might be the medicine he needs right now,” Nagi crooned in English, pushing the glass of water into Ryuu’s hand and joining Yamato in guiding him back down the hall. Gaku followed, shoulder to shoulder with the others, blocking off any chance of escape.

“I might be medicine…? What does that even mean?”

“Just go, Ryuu,” Gaku commanded, grinning at his group mate’s confusion. “That’s an order from your leader.” And with that, he pushed Ryuu back into Sougo’s room and closed the door on him.

“Wow!” Nagi grinned. “It’s going well!”

“Shut it! They’ll hear us!” Mitsuki hissed. He, and every other person in the building, had followed them down the hall. “Does Sougo fainting really mean it’s going well?”

“What’s going well?” Tamaki asked, glancing at the older members of the group. Riku echoed his question, confusion apparent on his face.

Mitsuki forced a laugh. “Oh, ah ha ha, it’s...nothing! We’ve just been...planning this dinner for a while! And it’s going… some kind of way…”

“Niisan…” Iori began, but Yamato cut him off.

“No questions. Those are orders from everyone’s  _ oniisan _ , you know. We set the stage, let them work it out.” His tone brooked no argument, and the others fell silent. He grinned. “Now, who wants to make some bets?”

“We are not betting on this,” Mitsuki groaned. “That would be just...too much. This is supposed to be to help both of them, right?”

“1000 yen says they kiss.” Gaku whipped out his wallet, digging for a bill. “Yeah, it’s to help them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun, right?”

“Help them...what?” Riku stepped back from the door, head tilted to the side. He glanced at Tenn, Iori, and Tamaki, who were all watching the Pythagoras Trio, and Gaku, get into a heated discussion outside Sougo’s door. “Help them what? Do you guys know what they’re talking about?”

“It might help Ousaka-san relax a little…” Iori mused, ignoring Riku’s question.

Tenn shook his head. “It might help Ryuu channel his image more easily, at least.”

Tamaki blinked. “Oh. I get it. But...why is it a problem?”

“Why is what a problem? Do you know what’s going on?” Riku asked.

Tamaki nodded slowly. “Sou-chan just needs to tell Ryuu-aniki he likes him, right? That’s what this is about?”

“That’s the long and short of it, sure.” Yamato glanced back at the younger members of the group, sighing.

“Likes him? Don’t we all like Tsunashi-san? He’s so nice!”

“Nanase-san…” Iori’s voice sounded slightly pained.

“Why doesn’t Sou-chan just tell him?”

“We’re trying to give him the chance to.”

“Can’t I just go in and tell them both? Then we can have dinner, right?” Tamaki moved towards the door and was immediately blocked by the rest of the group.

“Woah, woah, Tama, we can’t have you doing that.”

“But it would be easier. I’ve told Sou-chan he should be straightforward with me. Maybe he didn’t get that he should be that way with everyone else, too.”

“Yotsuba! It’s gotta come from the two of them, okay?”

“Why are you guys messing with Sou-chan and Ryuu-aniki, anyways?! It’s not a nice thing to do!” Tamaki’s voice rose as he began to struggle against the others.

“Shh! This is for their own good, I swear! Both Sougo and Tsunashi-san!” Mitsuki hissed.

“But-”

“Hey, Iori.” The dark haired boy looked up as Nagi called his name. “Why don’t you take Tamaki and get some pudding?”

“King Pudding?” Immediately, Tamaki turned, his attention drawn by the mention of his favorite food. He shook his head. “But… you’re just trying to keep messing with the others.”

Nagi nodded. “Yes! You could go and get pudding, and then when you come back, it might be time for dinner. And,” he continued, holding up a hand as Tamaki got ready to yell at him again, “if those two aren’t out here yet, we will stop messing with them and let you tell them what you need to. Okay?”

“...okay.”

“...and why am I going with him?” Iori asked, voice low.

“Please? And you could take Riku. And maybe Kujou?” Mitsuki glanced at the pink haired boy, who was staring back with a gaze that threatened murder. “Okay, maybe not, but at least the other two. We’ll handle things here, just…”

“Niisan. I’m honestly worried about letting you all handle things, but…” Iori considered for a moment, and nodded. “All right. We’ll go get pudding, and desserts for everyone as well.”

“All right! King Pudding!” Tamaki crowed, followed by a chorus of  _ shh _ s from everyone else.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Pythag's lives flash before their eyes, Iori gets a headache, and Tenn makes a very sweet deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter could also be described as "get rekt everyone, except maybe Tenn".

Sougo opened his eyes as his door was roughly opened. He heard a noise of protest, then stumbling steps and the slam of the door. After a second, he turned, trying to see who had come in.

“Tsunashi-san!” He immediately tried to sit up, but Ryuu held up his hands.

“Ah, please, stay there. Are you okay?” He glanced towards the door and sighed, an exasperated expression flashing across his face. “The others seemed to think you needed help, and that I should be the one to...help.”

“...I see.” Sougo murmured. “I’m sorry to impose upon you,Tsunashi-san, and I apologize on behalf of my group members, as well.”

Ryuu laughed. “It was partly Gaku’s insistence, too. I’m not sure what’s gotten into everyone.”

Sougo’s eyes narrowed. What were the others doing? Were they planning something? Suspicion started to bubble in his chest. He took a deep breath and sat up slowly.

“Sougo-kun, are you okay? I have water, if you need it.” Here was Ryuu, coming closer to his bed, brows knit over golden eyes filled with concern.

“I…” Sougo swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. “Ah, yes, please. And, if you wouldn’t mind, I have some juice and crackers stored over on the shelves. They tend to help. I used to have moments like this a lot, so I got in the habit of keeping some on hand, even though I’ve been fine recently.”

Ryuu nodded and handed him the water before walking over to the shelves, grabbing the crackers and juice. He paused, a display of TRIGGER merchandise catching his eye. He smiled, turned, and walked back, handing the requested snack to Sougo, who had already drained the glass.

“You really are a fan, aren’t you, Sougo-kun?” he murmured, his tone kind, his voice soft. Sougo opened his mouth, presumably to apologize, but Ryuu cut him off. “No, really, I’m honored, actually, that you like our music that much.”

Sougo blushed faintly and took a second to open the juice and take a sip. He slowly lowered it, staring at the bottle in his hands. “I had heard some of your music before, but when IDOLiSH7 was just forming, we went to one of your concerts. Mitsuki-san took me to the merchandise stand and...I wound up buying a lot. And my collection has only grown since then.”

“Thank you for your continued support!” Ryuu smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, causing Sougo’s blush to deepen.

“It’s...it’s my pleasure.” The two lapsed into silence, Ryuu looking around the room, Sougo staring at his hands and willing them not to shake. In the quiet, he suddenly heard it; hushed voices outside, and Tamaki’s yell of “King Pudding!”

His eyes narrowed. “Excuse me for one second, Tsunashi-san,” he said, voice cold enough that Ryuu jumped up from the bed and moved quickly away. Sougo stood and walked to the door, then paused, listening. He heard footsteps retreating down the hall, then the continued quiet murmur of voices right outside his door.

“Sougo-kun?” Ryuu’s voice was tinged with concern, but Sougo only lifted a finger to his lips and shook his head. Silently, he pressed one ear against the door and closed his eyes.

“Can you hear anything?”

“Mm, nothing so far.”

“Knowing them, absolutely nothing is happening in there.”

“Even with Tsunashi-shi being an  _ er- _ ”

“Shut  _ up, _ all of you, I’m trying to-”

Sougo stepped back and flung the door open, causing Gaku, Nagi, Mitsuki, and Yamato to tumble into his room. Ryuu let out a shout and jumped back further, even as Sougo silently crossed his arms and stared down at the men on his floor, eyes glinting.

“ _ Explain yourselves _ ,” he commanded, his tone icy.

Mitsuki winced, even as Gaku and Yamato smiled sheepishly. Nagi opened his mouth, paused, and reconsidered, deciding to stay silent with the others.

Sougo lifted his gaze to Tenn, who was wisely standing on the other side of the hall, an amused smile turning up the corner of his lips. Sougo raised his eyebrows. “Kujou-san, were you a part of this as well?”

“I’m no part of anything,” Tenn responded flatly. “I have no clue what they were doing.”

“We were just...making sure you two were okay?” Mitsuki’s tone rose at the end of his statement and he sighed, putting his head in his hands. “Sorry, we should have, uh, been more respectful of your privacy. We’ll go back to the living room.”

“Please do.” Sougo turned and stalked back over to his bed, leaving everyone to breath a sigh of relief. Ryuu glanced from Sougo, to the others, to Tenn, who shrugged.

“Ryuu, why don’t you see if you can calm him down a little before you come to dinner?” the boy suggested, folding his arms across his chest.

Ryuu gawked at him for a moment. “I don’t think I’ve been much help so far…” he murmured. He walked to the door and leaned down, helping Mitsuki to his feet. Mitsuki pulled on his hand slightly, dragging Ryuu’s ear down towards his face.

“Ask to hear some of his favorite music,” he whispered. “That should help.”

“Thanks,” Ryuu whispered back. “Tamaki-kun was right, he can be a little scary when he’s mad. Hopefully that will help him, right?”

Mitsuki stared at the man for a second. “You’re really… This is advice for  _ you _ , too, you dolt!” he hissed.

“Huh?” Ryuu blinked, but the shorter man merely shook his head and left with the others, closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

 

“But why doesn’t Sou-chan just tell him already?”

“What, that he like his music? I was sure he already had…”

Iori sighed, bringing one hand up to massage his temples. The two had been discussing this since they had left the dorms, going back and forth like some comedy duo.

“No, that he likes Ryuu-aniki.”

“But doesn’t everyone? We’re all his fans, right?”

“Nanase-san, I’m beginning to think you’re doing this on purpose just to be frustrating.”

“Doing what?” Riku’s voice was bright. Iori grimaced and decided to ignore him, jumping back to Tamaki’s earlier question.

“Ousaka-san is probably concerned that he will be a bother to Tsunashi-san.” Iori thought for a moment. “It might be that the feeling is mutual, based on the actions the others were taking.”

“Oh. I see.” Tamaki nodded. “Sou-chan would definitely worry about something like that. But isn’t not telling him more of a bother?”

Riku ran ahead and came to an abrupt stop, throwing out his arms and facing the other two with a pout. “I don’t get it. What are you guys talking about?”

Iori sighed heavily and closed his eyes, trying to figure out a response that would make sense to their center. He couldn’t just say it flat out, not in public where they might be heard. Certainly not something as embarrassing as that particular feeling. He was secretly relieved when Tamaki decided to try to explain once more.

“Rikkun, Sou-chan likes Ryuu-aniki a lot.”

“But we all do! He’s cool and nice!” Riku was beginning to sound exasperated, a sentiment that Iori most certainly shared. He shook his head and started walking again, trying to get this chore done with as soon as possible.

“No, Rikkun, Sou-chan  _ like  _ likes him.  _ Really _ likes him.”

“You mean…?”

“He likes him almost as much as I like King Pudding. I would do anything for King Pudding, right? Sou-chan likes Ryuu-aniki like that,” Tamaki explained, sounding more than a little pleased with his description    .

“Oh, so he’s in love, then?”

“Right!”

_ That _ worked?  _ That _ was what got the point across? Iori stopped dead and turned to stare as Riku grinned back at him.

“Why didn’t you just say that before? No one said it was ‘cause he was in love. That makes so much more sense than just saying  _ like _ over and over, you know.” He glanced up at the streetlights for a second, thinking. “Iori, you’re usually more clear than that. Is something wrong?”

Iori felt his cheeks flush slightly, instantly covering it by turning back around and bringing a hand to his face. “N-no, I simply thought it would be best to respect Ousaka-san’s privacy by not discussing such private matters among ourselves, that’s all.”

Tamaki blinked. “Iorin, is there someone you-”

“We need to get going. Everyone is counting on us for dessert, right? So let’s go.” Iori stalked off, without checking to see if the other two were following. Riku and Tamaki shrugged at one another and headed after him.

* * *

 

“Well. Plan A does not seem to be working.” Yamato let out a sigh and sat down, crossing his legs.

“I thought they might be able to handle it if we just gave them some time alone,” Gaku muttered.

“...was that really your plan? Your best plan? Lock them in a room together and hope it works out?” Tenn shook his head. “If you’re going to meddle with people’s relationships, you really need to be better prepared.”

“Oh, but that was only Plan A!” Nagi grinned, holding up one finger. “Wait until you hear Plan B.”

“For the record, I do not endorse Plan B.”

Tenn glanced to the side as the elder Izumi brother appeared next to him. “Plan B?”

“Yaotome, did you bring it?”

“Of course I did. It’s in the bag.”

“How are we going to convince them to go along with it? Both of them are going to be on guard, yes?” Nagi pointed out.

“I brought Ryuu’s favorite. We just have to convince him that we don’t need him to drive us home after.”

Yamato nodded. “We have plenty of space for you three to crash, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Sougo will be especially on guard after what happened at the anniversary party, won’t he? Even though that was a while ago?” Mitsuki asked, looking at the others in the room. “I don’t think we could get him to drink even if our lives depended on it.”

“Maybe we can’t,” Yamato mused, “but we know a few people who can.” And he turned and stared pointedly at Tenn.

“I’m not helping you.”

“Please, Tenn.”

“You do it, Gaku.”

“I’ll be monitoring Ryuu, making sure he doesn’t get too drunk.”

“Please, Kujou Tenn!” Nagi got down on his knees and bent until his forehead touched the floor. “We need your help! You’re our only hope!”

Tenn stared down at the blonde, eyes impassive. “Your form is all wrong.”

“Oh… But the feeling is there? Is it coming through?”

“...no.”

Yamato sighed heavily and shook his head. “Mitsu, a little help please?”

“Fine, fine.” Mitsuki put a hand on Tenn’s shoulder. “Mind coming with me to the kitchen?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I’m going to make cookies. Help me out a little and you can have some dough. And maybe even cookies for the next month, if you help everyone else.”

“You’re attempting to bribe me with sweets.”

“Is it working?”

In response, Tenn turned and silently walked to the kitchen. Mitsuki flashed everyone else a thumbs up before following him, leaving them to make plans and gather the rest of the food. When he arrived, Tenn was already searching through the cupboards, grabbing sugar and flour. Mitsuki smiled and quietly went about pulling out various bowls and utensils. The two worked in silence for a few minutes, only interrupted by Mitsuki’s occasional requests for ingredients. He mixed the dry ingredients, then added a few of the wet ones, sectioning out a portion into a smaller bowl, sticking a small spoon in it, and handing it to Tenn.

“Here,” he said. “No eggs yet, so it’s totally safe to eat.”

Tenn nodded his thanks and sat on the edge of a stool, watching the older man work the eggs into the remaining dough. He took a small bite, trying not to let how much he enjoyed the sweet sugar cookie dough show.

“You know,” Mitsuki started, keeping his eyes focused on the dough as he mixed it, “we are actually doing this out of concern for them.”

“And betting on them in the meantime?”

He grimaced. “That’s the old man and Yaotome, I’m afraid, but their hearts are in the right place. Well, I think Yamato’s is in the right place, at least.”

Tenn set the bowl down and folded his hands in front of him. “So why are all of you meddling, if I may ask? What do you get out of it?”

“Mm, there’s not much we really get out of it. It’s more…” Mitsuki paused, taking a moment to set out the baking tray. “Well, let me explain it like this. It’s an open secret here that Sougo really, really likes Tsunashi-san. You remember the anniversary party, right? It became pretty apparent then.”

Tenn thought back, remembering how Ryuu had wound up becoming a pillow for the younger man, and how the rest of the members of IDOLiSH7 had begged the members of TRIGGER to never mention what had happened, just in case it sent Sougo into a spiral of ever-intensifying apologies. He nodded.

“And you know that Tsunashi-san, Momo-san, and I are part of that sports club, right?”

“Yes.”

“We were fishing one day, and Tsunashi-san seemed a little down about something. When we asked him about it, he wound up telling us about how he’d come to realize that he had a huge crush on someone, but he didn’t want to cause trouble for TRIGGER or anyone else, or put pressure on that person, or ruin their friendship in any way.” Mitsuki started scooping out parts of the dough and patting them into shape on the baking tray. “He actually seemed pretty distressed about it. We tried to get his mind off it, but after we all went home, I got a RabbitChat from Momo-san asking me to look into it further. So I messaged Yaotome-san.”

“And what did Gaku say?” Tenn set his chin in one hand and took another bite of dough. It wasn’t something he had a chance to do often, having raw cookie dough, but he had to admit, it was something he could get used to doing.

“He actually called me back the moment he saw the message.” Mitsuki stepped back from the counter and puffed out his chest, folding one hand against his hip and holding the other at about shoulder height, palm up. “ _ Oh, so he told someone else he likes that Ousaka kid, huh? After I had to pry it out of him while drunk. So, tell me, elder Izumi brother, what should we do about the situation? _ ” he mimicked, voice pitched down.

“Oh, very nice impression.” Tenn’s tone was neutral, but he did little to hide his amusement, grinning. Mitsuki returned the smile and bowed before continuing.

“After we chatted for a bit, we decided to grab the rest of the Pythagoras Trio and try to come up with a plan. It’s obvious that Sougo likes Tsunashi-san, and vice versa, but they’re both… Well, Sougo is too caught up in not wanting to bother anyone. It’s put him in the damn hospital before.”

“And Ryuu is far too nice to ever try and impose his own feelings on another person,” Tenn mused.

Mitsuki pointed his wooden spoon at the boy, earning a look of surprise. “Exactly! We figured that they would never work it out on their own, so we came up with a few ideas. Some of them we had to cross off immediately-” He winced as he thought back to Nagi’s original idea, to put one in a life-threatening position and force the other to save him. The blonde boy seriously watched too much anime. “-but we had a few good ones that we decided to run with. Namely, put them in a room together and see what happened, then get them tipsy enough to talk about their feelings for once. And maybe put them back in a room together. That’s Plan C.”

The oven beeped, letting the two know it was at temperature. Tenn shook his head and got up, taking the baking tray and sliding it into the waiting oven. “I would hate to hear the rejected ideas. The ones you went with are pretty terrible.”

“Aren’t they? But it’s the best we’ve got.” Mitsuki set the oven timer and turned to face TRIGGER’s center once more. “We really, truly, just want to help. It seems like they’d both be happier with this out in the open, doesn’t it? So, will you help us?”

“A month of cookies isn’t going to cut it.”

Mitsuki’s eyes narrowed. It wasn’t an outright no, at least, but what did the boy want? “Two months of cookies, then,” he offered, and took a second to swat Tenn’s hand away from the remains of the dough in the mixing bowl.

“Still not enough.” Tenn rubbed the back of his hand. “I was just going to clean it.”

“With your tongue, I assume? That part had eggs in it. Not allowed.” Mitsuki sighed and took the bowl to the sink, ignoring the look of annoyance on Tenn’s face. “So, what’ll it be? What’s your price?”

“Your family runs a bakery.”

“Yes?”

Tenn returned to his stool and daintily sat, perching himself on the edge. He took a moment to investigate his own bowl of dough (sadly, there was none left) before turning to fix Mitsuki with a serious gaze. He leaned forward and steepled his fingers, letting a small smile grace his lips. “The chocolate cake. I want one per week, until I decide I’ve had enough.”

Yikes. That was a pretty steep price. The boy didn’t look it, but he had an even bigger sweet tooth than Tamaki, and his appetite for sweets couldn’t be matched. A cake a week for a potentially infinite amount of weeks would cost the bakery way too much. Mitsuki crossed his arms and thought for a minute as Tenn continued to stare at him with that deceptively angelic smile. What could he do? What might work?

His eyes gleamed. Now that was an idea. “Counter offer. A little birdie told me you often ask our manager to send you pictures of Riku.”

Tenn went still. “Izumi Iori,” he muttered. “Of course he would tell you.”

“I’ll never reveal my source,” Mitsuki said with a grin. “But here’s my offer. Homemade cookies for two months, whenever you want them. A chocolate cake a week for two months, sent straight to you from the bakery. And I’ll send you every good picture of Riku I can get my hands on.”

“That’s...a very good offer,” Tenn murmured, finally sitting back up. He tapped one finger against the counter. “Without intervention, those two will never work this out, it’s true.”

“They’re so wrapped up in hiding their own feelings, they’ll never catch on to the fact that it’s mutual.”

“Ryuu is completely ignorant when it comes to this stuff, anyways.” Tenn sighed, crossed his arms, and shook his head again, this time letting a faint smile settle onto his lips. “I suppose, with an offer like that and such good intentions, I can hardly refuse to help. Although,” he continued, holding up a hand to stop Mitsuki’s shout of joy, “if it doesn’t work out, I will claim ignorance, and will tell everyone I was bribed into giving Ousaka Sougo alcohol. Fair?”

“I can accept those terms,” the older boy said, and the two idols shook on their agreement.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the interaction between Tenn and Mitsuki was actually one of my favorite parts of this whole fic, they're a lot of fun. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plan A didn't work, and Plan B is set in motion. It's time to find out just how successful these plans will be.

Iori had no idea what to expect as he walked back into the dorm. Would everything have somehow worked out? That seemed about as likely as Yotsuba-san swearing off King Pudding forever. He half expected to walk back in to Ousaka-san _literally_ kicking everyone else out of the hallway, so he was pleasantly surprised to find almost everyone seated in the living room, the two focuses of the evening included.

“We’re back!” Riku called, even as Tamaki pushed his way forward, looking from Sougo to Ryuu to the others.

“Did they-”

“Prepare food? No! We decided to call for soba,” Nagi interjected, already steering Tamaki towards the kitchen, “since we forgot to make food!”

“Oh. They didn’t, then.”

“No! No one made food!” The two disappeared into the kitchen, even as Mitsuki and Tenn emerged.

“Mitsuki-kun!” Ryuu stood and moved towards the two, smiling. “Thank you for the advice earlier. It worked really well!”

The elder Izumi brother glanced at Sougo, who was sitting quietly on one of the chairs, a soft smile on his face. It seemed that the young man had finally calmed down, at least. He let out a sigh caught somewhere between relief and exasperation. “It looks like it did. I’m glad.”

“Seriously, Ryuu,” muttered Tenn, drawing the brunette’s attention, “they should have had you be the angelic one. You fit that role much better than that of an ‘eroero beast’.”

“I do? What do you mean?”

“Exactly.” Having made his point, Tenn moved into the living room and sat down. Riku immediately settled down next to him and began to talk, drawing the hint of a smile from his brother.

“Well. I’m glad we’re all able to hang out, at least,” Mitsuki mused, even as the doorbell rang. He perked up. “That must be the soba! Yaotome-san, come to the door with me, will you? You’ve gotta be there.”

“What? Why?” Annoyed that his and Yamato’s bets had been rendered invalid by the fact that _nothing had happened_ , Gaku’s mood had taken a turn for the worse. Still, he stood and followed the shorter man to the door. “So what’s so important about the soba delivery, huh?”

“You’ll see!” Grinning, Mitsuki opened the door, only to be disappointed when the delivery man was not the usual Gaku look-alike. He was so focused on the delivery man that he missed Gaku frantically signaling for the man to stay quiet, shushing him before he could say hello to his occasional co-worker. They exchanged the normal pleasantries, then the man left, quickly.

Mitsuki was obviously disappointed, his shoulders curving downwards as he carried the soba back to the kitchen. He let out a huge sigh. “The usual guy looks a lot like you. I wanted you to see him,” he complained.

“Huh. Strange. But I bet I’m much more handsome than he is,” Gaku responded, and smiled faintly while his companion was turned away.

* * *

 Everyone had almost cleared their bowls of food when Gaku brought out the alcohol. A few cans of beer, some sake, and an impressive looking bottle of _awamori_ that immediately drew Ryuu’s attention.

“That’s not fair,” the brunette muttered. “You brought my favorite and I have to drive you guys home.”

“You know,” Yamato said, appearing almost instantly at his side, “we _do_ have a lot of extra space. And we’ve got a night shoot tomorrow, so the morning is clear. You all could just stay overnight.”

“As luck would have it, we’ll be filming all night later on this week, so Anesagi-san gave us tomorrow off. We could just stay overnight,” Gaku added, repeating Yamato’s earlier phrase.

“But-”

“We can all see how much you want to drink it, Ryuu, just give up.” Tenn’s voice cut through the chatter as he stepped up to the table. “Would anyone else like anything? We younger members can’t imbibe, but we can certainly pour for our elders.”

While Tenn and the other younger members went to work, Gaku poured a glass for Ryuu and shoved it into his hands. Ryuu simply looked confused.

“But why? It would be easy enough just to go home instead of staying here, I would just have to not drink. So why?”

“You could say it’s for your own good.”

“What?”

Gaku took a sip of his own drink and sighed heavily. “Listen. We like IDOLiSH7. They like us. Let’s just hang out and have fun, okay?”

Ryuu searched Gaku’s face for any further hints, but found nothing. Resigning himself to his fate, he took a gulp of his own drink and sat down.

Meanwhile, Sougo still sat in his chair, not moving towards the alcohol at all. There was no way he could let himself drink. He got embarrassingly demanding when he drank too much, and he let his emotions affect his actions, let his desires take control. He simply couldn’t afford that, especially not in front of Ry-in front of TRIGGER. Even if he only drank in moderation, he was wound too tightly to even take that chance. He clasped his hands tightly in his lap and almost missed the moment Tenn appeared next to him, a can and a glass in his hands.

“I’m sorry, Kujou-san, I’m not planning to drink tonight,” he said politely, holding up his hands.

The pink haired boy tilted his head to the side. “Oh? Not at all? I’m even willing to pour it for you, Ousaka-san. I didn’t think you’d be the type to refuse that kind of fan service,” Tenn said knowingly, putting on an angelic smile.

“Ah, um...” Sougo turned bright red and looked back at his lap. “N-no, I really shouldn’t, my apologies, Kujou-san.”

“You’re sure? No other fan gets to have this kind of service. I was looking forward to seeing how such a thing would affect a fan. I’m somewhat disappointed.”

He was disappointed? Just by that? Sougo closed his eyes for a second, fighting with himself. No matter what, he simply couldn’t let down a member of TRIGGER. He would just have to be careful, that was all. He sighed. “Ah. I… I suppose I could, then. One drink won’t hurt,” he murmured, and allowed Tenn to carefully pour him a glass. He accepted it and took a sip, even as Tenn graced him with a gentle smile and returned to the table.

 _What a terrifying power_ , thought nearly everyone else.

* * *

“Another! Another!” Ryuu called, waving his glass in general direction of the table. Iori, seeing this, shook his head.

“I’m going to bed,” he muttered, even as Gaku gently steered Ryuu away, shaking his head as Riku tried to pour another drink for the already intoxicated man and only succeeded in getting alcohol all over the table.

“No, nope, that’s enough for right now, can’t get too sloppy here,” he murmured, pushing Ryuu down to sit on the couch next to Sougo, who had _somehow_ been convinced to have three drinks already, all of them poured by Tenn. He was awfully insistent on giving fanservice tonight, it seemed. Sougo glanced at where the boy sat, quietly munching on a plate of cookies. What had gotten into him? And how could the boy eat that many sweet things in one sitting?

Sougo let himself slip sideways, his head landing on someone’s shoulder. He glanced up, barely moving his head, catching the sight of brown hair and golden eyes. Oh. No wonder the person was so warm and smelled so good.

“Hello, Sougo-kun!” came the chipper voice. “Would you like to use me as a pillow again?”

Again? The word seemed strange, odd, out of place, but he did want to use Tsunashi-san as a pillow so he nodded and nestled himself against the older man. Ryuu responded in kind, tilting his head until his cheek touched Sougo’s hair.

Nagi, seeing this, broke into a huge smile and elbowed Mitsuki, drawing the older man’s attention. “Look! Look!”

“Yes, yes, I can see, that’s very cute,” Mitsuki complained, taking a sip of his own drink. His first drink that night. He had to be sober enough to make sure the other group members didn’t get themselves in too much trouble, and Yamato was already deep into his second. Gaku had been keeping pace with Yamato and was now celebrating the display on the couch with yet another glass. Riku and Tamaki had gone to Riku’s room to play some video game while Iori had gone to bed early like the model student he was. Tenn was still quietly sitting nearby, eating his cookies. It almost seemed like he was ignoring the scene around him, although his expression softened as his gaze landed on Ryuu and Sougo. Mitsuki couldn’t help but grin, seeing that. Maybe the boy was more invested in this than his hard bargaining let on.

Tenn seemed to notice Mitsuki’s eyes on him and glanced over, expression transforming into a scowl. On second thought, maybe not. Mitsuki sighed and took a larger gulp of his beer. It was barely ten o’clock and it had already been a long night.

If only Re:vale had been able to come. It would probably have been easier, or at least, there would be more eyes on those two, getting them to interact. Momo-san had that effect on people, of putting them at ease and getting information out of them with what seemed like no effort. Momo had been devastated to learn that they were out of town on the only night TRIGGER and IDOLiSH7’s schedules matched up. He’d very much wanted to be here.

Mitsuki took out his phone and snapped a quick photo of the duo on the couch, then sent it along. Almost immediately, he saw the reply.

_My cute kohais are doing well! But that doesn’t look like talking. Will it help in the long run?_

No. No, it wouldn’t. Mitsuki sighed and turned to Nagi. “We’ve gotta get them talking. Momo-san’s orders.”

“Hmm…” The blonde thought for a few moments, glancing around the room. “Talking doesn’t seem like it will happen here, right now. But maybe a different kind of communication? Through song, and dance?”

“Karaoke, huh?”

“Karaoke!” That had gotten Ryuu’s attention, even though the word had been nearly whispered. “I want to sing! Let’s sing!”

Sougo blinked blearily. “But you’re a good pillow.”

“But karaoke, Sougo-kun. We can sing and dance together!”

“Oh.” He thought about that for a moment, considering, weighing the choice between using Ryuu as a pillow and dancing with him. Dancing won. “Okay.”

“Sure, sure! Sounds fun!” Yamato finally stood back up and set up the sound system. “What should we sing?”

“Everything!” was the enthusiastic response.

* * *

 It was two hours later, and Ryuu and Sougo showed no signs of stopping. Gaku, Yamato, Nagi, and Mitsuki had kept up for a while, switching between singing and trying to encourage the two to talk, but now all four were laying sprawled on the couches and chairs. Tenn watched silently from his perch, the cookies long gone. He had provided each scheming member (save Nagi, despite how the boy had whined about being old enough to drink in his country and better at holding his alcohol than anyone else in the room) with one more drink a little while ago, then promptly closed the makeshift bar, only offering glasses of water. It was nearing midnight, and if anything was going to happen, it had to happen soon, he thought, and approached the defeated members of Pythagoras.

“Kujou-shi, how long does this usually go for?” Nagi asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

“Ryuu has apparently gone home still singing many, many times.”

“He hasn’t had enough to knock him off his feet yet, so he’s pretty much still able to go for a while,” Gaku explained. “He’s still speaking normal Japanese, at least. What about Ousaka?”

Yamato squinted, focusing on the light haired member of his group. “Hmm. He’s probably getting to the edge of remembering this tomorrow, to be honest. If we could just get them _talking_ about everything…”

“Plan C.”

Everyone turned to stare at Mitsuki, who was sitting up, staring at the two still dancing in the middle of the room.

“...put them back in a room together. Remember? Plan C? They’re not going to talk about this with all of us watching so let’s just move to Plan C.” He crossed his arms. “If that doesn’t work, well, we either tell them in the morning or let Tamaki do it. Either way, I’ve got a headache and it’s time to stop.”

“Fine, fine.” Gaku stood and turned off the music, drawing noises of complaint from Ryuu and Sougo. He rolled his eyes and grabbed both by the shoulders, pushing them ahead of him and towards the hall.

“Gaku?!”

“Yaotome-san?!”

“You two want to keep singing and dancing, you do it in Ousaka’s room, the rest of us are tired. Now _go_ ,” he commanded, giving them a good shove towards Sougo’s door. He pushed the door open and moved forward, making both Ryuu and Sougo step back until they were almost inside. Mitsuki and Yamato stood by his sides, preventing them from escaping.

“But-”

“No buts! Get in there!” Mitsuki gave them another shove, and while he didn’t really move Ryuu, he did manage to knock Sougo off balance and into Ryuu, which worked out just fine. With that, he slammed the door and stalked back down the hall to where Nagi and Tenn were watching him quietly.

“Your plans need some work,” Tenn remarked, crossing his arms.

“Duly noted!” Mitsuki barked back before throwing himself down onto the couch in a huff. Gaku and Yamato followed, each landing heavily in their chairs. There were a few precious moments of silence.

Nagi glanced down the hall. “And so, now we just wait, yes?”

“Yep. We just wait for the result,” Yamato muttered. “Betting time. Anyone else in?”

Nagi shrugged, even as Mitsuki slammed a bill down on the table. “1000 yen says nothing happens.”

“I’ve still got 1000 on them kissing,” Gaku added.

Yamato sighed. “1000 on them actually talking and working it out. One of us has to have faith in the plan, right?”

Mitsuki felt his phone buzz and pulled it out. He saw a message from Momo asking for a situation update and sent a message back detailing what was going on. The response made him turn bright red.

“Mitsuki? Are you alright?”

The young man simply shook his head and shoved his phone at Nagi, who took a second to read through what was on the screen. “Oh,” he murmured. “Momo-shi would like in on your bet. His message says _1000 yen says they_ -”

“Nope! No one needs to hear you say that, Nagi, that’s just pushing your image way too far.”

* * *

“Do you still want to dance?”

The question was quiet, out of place coming from the bright Ryuu who had just been dancing and smiling and singing in the living room. Sougo stared at him for a second, processing, taking in the almost hesitant look in his eyes. “Of course,” he said. “Of course I want to dance.” And he basked the return of Ryuu’s sunny grin.

"What should we put on?”

“What would you like?”

“Anything.”

All Sougo had to do was hit play on his stereo; it was still set up from earlier, when Ryuu had asked to hear his favorite songs. He paused for a moment, focusing, making sure his finger would hit the right button, and was pleased to find that he still had most of his control over his body, even if his control over his thoughts and words was still far from optimal.

The first song was one that Ryuu hadn’t known earlier when he’d shared it, but the older man smiled and held out a hand, inviting Sougo to dance with him. They spun and separated and moved around one another, Ryuu’s voice joining his own on the chorus, picking up the words and melody quickly. Sougo jumped to the harmony for the last part of the song, and the music faded, leaving the two grinning at one another, panting slightly from the last few hours of exertion.

Ryuu opened his mouth, maybe to suggest that they take a break, or maybe something else, but was interrupted by the first few bars of _Leopard Eyes_.

“How do we want to do it?” was what Ryuu wound up asking.

“Just sing all of it. Together.” Sougo’s tone was steady and firm. “I like this song a lot.”

“Me, too.”

They both began to dance again, though this time everything was a little...more. The movements heavier, the glances they gave one another more meaningful, their eyes lidded. Both were beginning to realize that the alcohol in their systems was fading, but didn’t want to let go of the foolishness, the bravery, that it instilled. So they moved, they twirled, they touched and moved apart.

“ _Only only only only two_ ,” they sang together, coming to an abrupt stop, only a few inches between them. Their chests rose and fell, breaths ragged. Sougo looked up, meeting Ryuu’s gaze, and felt himself moving. He couldn’t stop himself, he didn’t want to stop himself. He found his fingers lacing behind Ryuu’s head, pulling him down as he rose up, and pressed his lips against Ryuu’s. Much to his surprise, the other man seemed to respond in kind. He let himself enjoy it for a few moments before breaking it off, falling back down to his heels, mind spinning frantically between joy and fear and shame. He lifted his eyes, expecting shock, anger, or disgust, but what he saw made him catch his breath.

The look in Ryuu’s golden eyes was mystifying. Sadness. A wistful edge. And then Ryuu was wrapping his arms around Sougo and pulling him close, pressing their bodies together, burying his head in the curve of Sougo’s neck.

“Tsunashi-san?”

“Sougo.” His voice was low and desperate and sent a shiver down Sougo’s spine. “Can we stay like this? Please?”

His heart pounding, Sougo’s mind ground to a halt. All his concerns, all his hang ups, everything faded into a dull roar in the background, and he made the decision. Blame it on how Ryuu smelled. Blame it on how dancing made the blood rush in his veins. Blame it on inebriation, while he still could. “No,” he whispered, and he could hear the beginning of a noise of protest. He responded by tightening his own grip and turning to rest his cheek against the other man’s. “I want to do more.”

Ryuu inhaled. “Oh,” he breathed, and let Sougo guide him to the bed, let himself be pulled down until he was straddling the younger man. Sougo rose to plant a fleeting kiss against Ryuu’s lips, and settled back.Ryuu followed him for more, slid his hands under Sougo’s shirt, started to caress bare skin.

“ _More_ ,” Sougo demanded, and Ryuu, kind, gentle Ryuu, was more than happy to oblige.

* * *

RIku reached for the TV remote, even as Tamaki pounded his controller, causing his character on screen to take out a few enemies.

“Rikkun, I need your help on this level, what are you doing?”

“Shh,” Riku hissed, turning down the volume. Tamaki tilted his head to the side and paused the game, trying to tell what Riku was talking about. Hearing nothing, he turned and stared at Riku, silently asking for an explanation.

“Just listen,” the redhead murmured, rising to his feet. The other boy stood as well, listening. This time, they both heard it; something of a muffled shout, repeated again barely a second later.

Tamaki was already moving towards the door. “That sounds like Sou-chan,” he said, voice clipped with concern. Riku followed, taking a second to dash toward the living room, nearly running into a pajama-wearing Iori, who fumbled to keep a glass of water from spilling.

“Nanase-san?”

“We thought we heard Sougo-san yell. Is he out here? Is he okay? I think Tamaki is gonna check in his-”

“Yotsuba-san! DO NOT OPEN THAT DOOR." Iori's voice came out in a harsher tone than he'd intended, not quite a shout but not allowing any room for argument. Tamaki stopped in his tracks, hand hovering near the handle, even as Riku stared with an open mouth. Iori listened for a second, feeling his face flush as he heard the noises coming from down the hall. A shout, a moan…

“Are you sure we shouldn’t check on him? He sounds like-”

“Oh _shit_ , all of you come to the living room, _now_.” Mitsuki appeared behind Iori, eyes wide.

“But-”

“No buts! Living room. Now. We’re gonna get, uh, dinner.”

“We had dinner already, though.”

“But it’s almost midnight?”

“Dessert.”

“Second dinner,” Nagi chimed in, dashing down the hall to grab Tamaki and gently guide him towards the living room. “Aren’t you already hungry again? Couldn’t you do with some more to eat?”

“But he sounded like-”

Nagi pressed a hand against Riku’s back and pushed him past the Izumi siblings, leaving Mitsuki to grab Iori’s hand and pull him away. Iori, for his part, finally blinked and forced his mind to catch up with what was going on. His thoughts spun. How was this going to resolve? They were going to have to keep this under wraps. Hopefully TRIGGER would agree that no one could know. What if word got out? There would be no damage control strong enough. He had to tell their manager. But there was no way he could tell their manager something like this, right?

He let himself be led to the door, even as everyone else got dressed for going outside, despite Riku’s protests. Mitsuki shoved a jacket at his brother, which he put on mechanically, still lost in thought. He was so distracted that he forgot he was still in pajamas, his shorts bedecked with the Usamimi Friends mascots. Tenn, however, noticed, and quickly walked to the boy’s room and grabbed a pair of pants from where they were carefully folded on a chair. There was something to be said about the boy being neat. He returned and tossed them to Iori, who caught them and stared at Tenn.

“You want to keep up your cool persona, don’t you?” Tenn commented, staring pointedly at Iori’s pants. The boy blinked.

“Of course. Thank you, Kujou-san,” he muttered, pulling the pants on over his pajamas. Tenn shook his head. Since when was he IDOLiSH7’s babysitter?

“I seriously think we should check on Sougo-san, he sounded like he was being hurt!”

Yamato pinched the bridge of his nose. “Riku, we’ve told you, he’s fine.”

“But-”

“Tama, I will give you ten King Puddings if you get Riku out of here right now.”

“Okay!” came the response. Riku found himself suddenly lifted up and carried out the door by a very enthusiastic Tamaki.

Everyone else followed in an awkward state of silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are enjoying this so far! It's been a lot of fun to write. Feel free to comment with what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bets were made and the plan was put in motion, and everything has gone wildly NOT according to plan...or has it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, the final chapter is here! It's technically been written for a while, but due to life, we had to wait to edit and finish it up. But hey, it's done just in time for Ryuu's birthday!

“Do you really think he’s okay? I’ve never heard him yell like that… and Tsunashi-san is missing, where did he go?” Riku was still talking, glancing over his shoulder as he walked next to Iori.

Iori shook his head. “It’s fine.” He certainly hoped it was fine. He thought for a second about what everyone assumed was going on and felt his face grow red once more. Of all the things to happen… He couldn’t believe the Pythagoras Trio hadn’t thought about the possible ramifications of-

“But seriously, were they fighting or something? Why isn’t anyone else-”

“Nanase-san, it is FINE,” Iori snapped, voice sharp. Riku blinked in surprise, but fell silent, gazing forward at the rest of the group. Iori, of course, instantly regretted his tone and sighed, opening his mouth to apologize.

“Ah, perhaps Riku doesn’t know about _the birds and the bees_? Perhaps someone should explain?” Nagi piped in, falling back to walk between the two. Iori promptly shut his mouth and looked away, even as Riku made a noise of confusion.

“ _Bi...birds and the bees_?” he asked, not quite pronouncing the English words correctly. “What does that mean? I know what the words mean separately, I think, but…”

Several of the other members were laughing quietly, whether they understood what Nagi had said or not. Tamaki exchanged a confused glance with Riku.

Gaku snorted and clapped Tenn on the shoulder. “You know,” he said, “you’re his brother. Shouldn’t it be you that explains this one?”

That was the last straw. Tenn’s eyes gleamed as he looked around, checking to see if anyone was nearby. Luckily, the street was nearly deserted, so he put on his most angelic smile. “You make a good point, Gaku,” he responded, and turned, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Gaku’s eyes widened, his gut telling him he had made a huge mistake, but it was _far_ too late. Tenn sounded almost chipper as he launched into his explanation.

“You see, Riku, _the birds and the bees_ is an English euphemism that refers to the act of sexual intercourse. In this exact case, Ryuu and Ousaka Sougo are likely having anal sex, the act of penetration by the penis through the anus.” Everyone stared at Tenn, frozen, even as he maintained his angelic smile and continued. “From the sounds being made, Ryuu was likely the one doing the penetrating, since it’s not exactly the most comfortable of experiences for the bottom, from what I’ve heard. It’s also likely tha-”

Iori cut him off by clapping his hand over Tenn’s mouth, eyes wide. Everyone else remained frozen, staring at the pink-haired boy. Nagi’s mouth had opened into a round ‘o’ shape. Mitsuki’s eyes were almost as wide as his brother’s, and Yamato’s eyebrows were threatening to disappear into his bangs. Gaku had joined Riku and Tamaki in a frozen state of horror, appearing almost terrified to even breathe. Tenn reached up to adjust a bit of his hair and gently push Iori’s hand off his face, looking quite pleased with the reaction he’d garnered.

“Wow,” Nagi said, breaking the spell Tenn’s explanation had cast on the others. Yamato spluttered for a second before shouting “You’re not old enough, you shouldn’t _know_ all of that,” even as Mitsuki quietly coughed and gave the boy a small smile.

“I’m a little impressed,” he muttered, “even though that was, uh, a little too much there.”

Gaku rubbed the back of his neck, glancing down at Tenn before looking away. “Ah, somehow, I, uh. Sorry,” he stuttered, and Tenn rolled his eyes before giving him an actual smile.

“Just consider that payback for _helping_ you all tonight.”

Riku and Tamaki were completely silent, processing what Tenn had said. “So,” Tamaki started, “I guess Ryuu-aniki and Sou-chan...talked?”

“I somehow doubt it,” Iori said with a groan, rubbing his temples. How could this night have gotten this complicated? He glanced at Riku, noticing that the boy was still wide eyed. “Nanase-san, are you alright?”

“S-sex?” Riku squeaked. “Tsunashi-san and Sougo-san are having…? But I thought they didn’t even know that they liked each other!”

Iori groaned again. He was going to need to have a very long talk with the Pythagoras Trio in the morning.

* * *

 

Sougo was warm when he woke up, nestled under the covers. His head ached slightly, but he wasn’t too bothered by it, wrapped as he was in blankets, feeling Tsunashi-san’s warmth against his back.

Ah. That was pleasant, but unexpected, and brought on quite the wave of anxiety. Ryuu had his left arm draped over Sougo’s chest, his right tucked back so his elbow just touched Sougo’s shoulder. Sougo turned slightly, glancing over to see Ryuu, eyes closed, breathing softly, a peaceful look on his face.

The desire to stay in those arms fought with the sudden concern rising in Sougo’s chest, and, regrettably, the concern won. He took a deep breath and slowly extracted himself from Ryuu’s hold, hissing slightly as the cold air hit his bare body. His entirely bare body, he realized, swinging his legs over the side and bending to reach a discarded shirt.

He was sore. He buttoned up the shirt and thought over the last night. Dancing for as long as they had might have done it, but after that they had...they had...had…

“Sougo-kun?”

The sleepy voice from the bed drew Sougo’s attention and he jumped, startled. “Tsu-Tsunashi-san,” he stammered, and pulled down on the bottom of the shirt, trying to cover himself a little more. Ryuu sat up, the covers sliding off his body, and he instantly grabbed them to make sure they didn’t fall too far, eyes wide.

“Did we…?”

“I’m sorry!” Sougo’s mouth moved before his mind, launching into apologies before he could even stop to think. “I’m sorry. I-I think we did sleep together last night, and it was likely my fault. I’ll take any punishment you decide on. Tsunashi-san, I’m sorry,” he whispered, and looked down, eyes suddenly wet with tears. He tried to blink them away, even as his hands tightened on the hem of his shirt.

“Sougo-kun?” Ryuu’s voice was soft, the hint of a question turning the words up at the end. Sougo didn’t respond, only shaking his head and closing his eyes. He didn’t want to see the face Ryuu was sure to be making. Disgust, perhaps. Anger, almost certainly. He couldn’t bear it.

Ryuu swallowed and tightened his grip on the covers. “ _Sougo_ ,” he insisted, and was rewarded when the young man met his gaze. His eyes were wide and frightened, meeting the searching look in Ryuu’s golden ones. They stared at one another for a moment, their breathing the only sound in the room.

“Do you regret it, then? Last night?” The question was quiet, barely above a whisper, but Sougo felt it pull the tension in the room to the breaking point. Any word, no matter what he said, might cause the whole thing to shatter. Might cause himself to shatter, might cause Ryuu to shatter. Might, might, might. His mind raced, trying to find the right answer, one that would hide the truth, maintain their previous relationship, keep everything the way it had been, but he kept coming up empty.

He inhaled. “No. I don’t regret it,” he admitted, and sank to the floor. “I don’t regret it at all.”

“Then why are you apologizing?”

“I was worried that I made you do it. We were both drunk, and I led you to the bed, and… Tsunashi-san, I’ve had feelings for you and I acted on them last night, and for that I-”

“Please don’t apologize for that,” Ryuu whispered. “Not for that.”

“Tsunashi-san?”

The older man swallowed. “If you do then I have to apologize for having feelings about you, Sougo-kun, and I don’t want to do that. I was wondering the same thing, if I made you sleep with me last night. It’s something you have to worry about when you’re supposed to be the erotic one in the group, at least according to Gaku. That my charm will make people do anything for me,” he murmured, and gave Sougo a smile that was far more fragile than his normal one, a smile that was small and uncertain, hovering between hope and worry. In that moment, Sougo decided. He couldn’t bear to see that weak smile on Tsunashi-san’s face. Not when he could do something about it.

He took a breath. “No! No, I knew what I was doing. Certainly, you are...ah. But no, I like you for you, Tsunashi-san, I assure you.”

“And I like you,” Ryuu answered, and his normal smile shone on his face once more. Sougo couldn’t help but return the grin as he stood and returned to the bed, sitting down with a sigh before leaning up against Ryuu.

“So what do we do about it?” he asked. “We’re idols in different groups. A relationship is...rather unorthodox.”

Ryuu shrugged his arm free and gently settled it around Sougo’s shoulders. “Hmm… We could ask the others for help?” he mused, pulling the smaller boy in close.

Sougo made a noise of agreement. “After last night’s antics, I think it’s safe to assume they all support this.” He thought for a moment, then nodded slightly. “I think we should ask them. I guess this is sort of the end result they wanted. I do wish they’d gone about it a different way, though. And perhaps a less transparent one.”

“What do you mean?”

“The others seem to have set this whole thing up. Sending you to get me yesterday? Giving us alcohol? It has to have been a plan. I had my suspicions last night, didn’t you?”

Ryuu swallowed and laughed nervously. “Uh, no, I didn’t. Not really.”

Sougo sat up a little more, staring at Ryuu. After a moment, he smiled. “Well, maybe they weren’t being _that_ obvious. Still, they could have done it differently, although I suppose as plans go, this one was relatively harmless. It might be good to get back at them, though. Tsunashi-san, are you any good at lying?”

“Not really?”

“Neither am I, but after all they did last night, wouldn’t it be fun to pay them back a little?”

Ryuu glanced down and caught the wicked glint in Sougo’s eyes. His eyebrows rose. “Pay them back in a good way or…?”

“Just a little trick, that’s all.”

“I...guess we could? What did you have in mind?”

Sougo smiled and outlined his plan, which even Ryuu had to agree was a fitting response to last night’s antics.

* * *

 

When the door to Sougo’s room finally opened, everyone else was sitting in the living room. Mitsuki and Iori were both nursing headaches, although they were for different reasons; Mitsuki’s was caused by drinking more after they’d come home, and Iori’s was caused by not sleeping the night before, so caught up in his worries about what today might bring.

Nagi had elected to put on an episode of Magical Kokona in an attempt to distract Riku and Tamaki, but no one, including the blonde, appeared to be watching it. Yamato and Gaku were both sitting on the couch, silently staring at their phones. No one had informed Momo of what had happened last night and the member of Re:vale had been messaging them all morning for an update.

Tenn, of course, was the only one who appeared unaffected by the events of the previous night. He sat perched on a stool, sipping a cup of tea, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He smiled as Sougo and Ryuu entered the room, drawing everyone’s attention. “Good morning, you two,” he said, and rested his chin in his hand. “Have a nice night?”

“We both slept really well!” Ryuu responded, voice light and chipper. Tenn’s smile faded slightly. He knew Ryuu could miss the point of some statements, but it had to be obvious, didn’t it?

“Even though Tsunashi-san slept on the floor,” Sougo continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

Mitsuki’s brows drew together and he blinked, frowning. “Wait, what?”

“It was kind of cold, since I somehow got undressed in my sleep, I think, but I slept like a log,” Ryuu explained, gaze moving to the side. Tenn’s eyes narrowed. He glanced at Sougo, who was carefully looking at each member of the group, gauging their responses. _Ah_ , thought Tenn, and he smiled into his cup of tea. So that’s what was happening.

“Do you two… Do you two remember what happened last night?” Yamato’s voice was strained. His fingers tightened on his knees. “Did you have too much to drink or something?”

“It’s a little hazy, I’m afraid.” Sougo shook his head. “I know we sang for a while out here, but after that is a bit blank.”

“Sougo-san, Tenn-nii said that you and Tsu-” Riku began, but Nagi clapped a hand over his mouth.

“Sougo would really slice open his gut if he knew what happened last night,” he hissed. “Don’t say anything.” And then, raising his voice, he called “And that’s all you remember?”

“That’s it for me, too,” Ryuu responded, and smiled. “Why? Did something happen?”

“Did something…” Iori buried his face in his hands. “Maybe this is for the best. Maybe it’s good that they have no idea. We can just put this behind us and…” he muttered. Mitsuki put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it in sympathy.

“Something.” Gaku stood. “You’ve got to be _fucking_ kidding me. You don’t _remember_ ?” he shouted. “Seriously?! After all that, you don’t _remember_?!”

There was a brief silence following the outburst, broken by the sudden giggle from Tamaki and a faint snort from Tenn.

“And why the hell are you two laughing?” Gaku rounded on the pair, ready to launch into shouting at them, but was stopped by Ryuu’s hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” the man started, but was interrupted by another laugh from Tenn.

“Wow, Ryuu, I didn’t know you had it in you. That was a pretty good trick.”

Tamaki nodded and approached Sougo, standing in front of him and grinning. He turned to face the rest of the bewildered members. “Sou-chan is playing a joke on you all. He’s lying. So’s Ryuu-aniki.” He crossed his arms. “Serves you all right for messing with them.”

“So…” Yamato began, but Mitsuki interrupted, shooting to his feet.

“You do remember, then?!”

“Of course.” Sougo shook his head. “It seems that you were all very careful about how much we had to drink, which I am thankful for, but would appreciate you never doing that again. No matter if your intentions were good or not. Understand?” Here, he let his eyes narrow and crossed his arms. Everyone else would swear the temperature in the room plummeted a good ten degrees as he let his piercing gaze fall on each participant in the plot. “ _Understand_?” he repeated, his voice colder than ice.

Ryuu blinked and glanced at Sougo, concern evident on his face, as even Riku, Iori, and Tamaki found themselves nodding emphatically along with the others, hoping to convince Sougo that this would never happen again. Ever. Somehow, though, Tenn and Nagi found themselves impervious.

“Yes!” Nagi called, as chipper as ever. “But, did you two discuss what you had to? You did not just have sex, yes? You talked about your feelings?”

Sougo went bright red, and Tamaki almost started forward, wondering if he was about to have to stop Sou-chan from killing the blonde. Before he could move, though, Ryuu simply put his hand on Sougo’s shoulder, causing the younger man to take a breath and close his eyes. After a second (during which a collective sigh of relief was let out by everyone else, including Tenn), he opened his eyes and finally managed a response. “Y-yes. We did discuss our…feelings for each other, in addition to...doing... _that_. But Nagi, please don’t say it flat out like that, it’s… embarrassing.”

* * *

 

After a quick breakfast together, it came time for TRIGGER to leave. As they gathered their things and said their goodbyes, Ryuu met Sougo’s gaze and approached him.

“S-so,” Sougo stammered, and looked away. “We’ll have to keep in touch, to discuss what we’re going to do.”

Ryuu smiled. “We should make time to meet up, too. Maybe for coffee or a drin- maybe not a drink, but a meal or something?”

“That would be… I would be delighted,” Sougo whispered, his gaze still focused downwards.

Ryuu blinked and tilted his head to the side for a moment. He took a breath and reached out, setting his right hand against the wall next to Sougo’s head and leaning in. With his other hand, he gently tilted Sougo’s chin up until the younger man was looking at him once more.

Sougo inhaled. Ryuu’s eyes were lidded, his expression serious, though his lips were curved as though smiling at some unspoken joke. The two men stayed still for a few moments, Sougo barely able to breath, before Ryuu broke back into his sunny grin.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I figured I should maybe get some practice on someone I like, if that’s okay. If it’s not, then-”

Sougo swallowed and stepped forward, reaching up cup Ryuu’s cheeks in his hands and pull him down to plant a kiss on his lips. Ryuu looked startled, then closed his eyes and returned the kiss. The two only broke apart when Yamato let out a low whistle.

“Was that really our Sou? You sure you didn’t replace him with someone else last night?” he quipped, drawing a deep blush from the man in question. Choosing to ignore his leader, Sougo fixed Ryuu with with a stare, enjoying the shocked expression on the man’s face.

“As long as it’s okay for me to do that, Ryuu-san,” he said, and was honestly amazed when his voice didn’t shake. The look of happiness on Ryuu’s face helped, as well.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Gaku, who happened to be closest to the door, cracked it open and found the knob nearly pulled out of his hands as Momo bounced into the room, followed closely by Yuki.

“Re:vale? Momo-san, Yuki-san, weren’t you out of town? You didn’t say you’d be coming over…” Mitsuki started, but Momo was already practically dancing around Sougo and Ryuu.

“We just got back! So? So? Tell me what happened! Looks like the plan was a success, right? Right? Who won the bet?”

“Bet?” Ryuu blinked. “What bet?”

“Yes, what bet?” Sougo echoed, a hint of ice entering his voice.

The members of Pythagoras and Gaku all exchanged a glance. As one, they dug into their pockets and handed a few bills to Momo before backing away. Gaku was out the door before anyone knew what had happened, dragging a displeased Tenn with him, while the others all retreated to the relative safety of their rooms, leaving Momo to explain exactly how much planning had gone into their special evening (even as he quietly slipped Yuki the winnings, since Yuki’s private bet with Momo had been that the pair would both have sex _and_ talk it out).

It was honestly for the best. It was hard to be mad at Momo, especially when Yuki was standing beside him, an imposing bodyguard despite his slender frame. Even with their success, however, everyone agreed that they would never, ever, try to set anyone up again.

At least for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I was feeling a little unsure about this final chapter, but I'm glad it's finally up and out there. All's well that ends well, and the members of Pythag, and Gaku, have totally learned their lesson, right?
> 
> ....right?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Sky for editing all of this, as well!


End file.
